Arthur m



(No Model.) A. M. RICHARDS 8v J. A. GIESE.

CHAIR.A y i Patented July 5, 1892. '"'lllllllllll l lll f f' ll lll llllll! llllI ll E llllllll |lll lul gli,

STATES n'r'nivir rircn.

ARTHUR M. RICHARDS, OF BLOOMINGTON, AND JAMES A. GIESE, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS; SAID GIESE ASSIGNOR TO SAID RICHARDS.

CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part f LettersPatent No. 478,130, dated July 5,1892. Application filed .Tune 20, 1891. Serial No. 396.911. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known thatwe, ARTHUR M. RICHARDS residing in Bloomington,McLeancounty, and JAMES A. GIESE, residing at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chairs, of whichthe following is a specification.

Our invention relates more especially to chairs or seats having the backpivoted so as 1o to yield to the pressure of the occupant; and thepurpose of our invention is to provide a spring actuated device whichwill readily yield in either direction and which on being released frompressure will restore the back exactly to its original position.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front view of a chairemploying our invention, a part being broken away to show theattachment. Fig. 2 isa View, on a larger zo scale, of a portion ofthechair-frame to which our improved attachment is affixed, the attachmentbeing shownpartly in section and Fig. 3 is a side view of the same,partly in section.

A is an angle-plate affixed to the arm B of the chair, from whichprojects a stud C of polygonal section. To the frame D of the back isaffixed a casing E, the frame being suitably recessed to receive it.Within saidvcase is 3o iitted a sleeve F, so as to permit a partialrotation of one upon the other, shoulders on the sleeve fitting bearingsin the case. Into the sleeve F is inserted the stud C, the polygonalsection of which prevents the rotation of the 5 5 sleeveF thereon.Instead of making the stud C of polygonal section a feather or anywellknown equivalent device may be used Vfor preventing the rotation'ofthe sleeve upon the stud. Opposite to 'the projecting tongue or lug f ofsaid sleeve F is a block G, secured to the casing. Jaws H I are pivotedat J within the casing, their faces h e' making simultaneous Contactwith the opposite faces of the block G and tongue f. The pivotal point Jis located with reference to the vblock G and the center of the sleeveF, so that the center of the block G of the sleeveF and `of the pivot Jwill lie in the same straight line. By this means the friction betweenthe surfaces h i 5o of the jaws H I and of the tongue f is reduced tothe smallest possible amount. A spring K,

curved like the letter'C, bears at or near the sleeve F. 55

The lug L projects from the plate A into a slotted'recess M in thecasing E, the said lng and the slotted opening serving as a stop tolimit the movement of the back upon its pivot.

The operation of the device is `illustrated 6o by the dotted lines inFig.3. The movement of the back upon its pivot will change the relativeposition of the casing E and the sleeve F (the latter being preventedfrom revolving by the stud C) and holds the outer end of one of thejaws, as I,While the other is moved out bythe block G. The jaws are thusopened in opposition to the pressure exerted by the spring K. If theback be tipped in the opposite direction, the jaw H would remain in 7ocontact with the stationary tongue of sleeve F and the jaw I be moved bythe block G. Upon the release of the back from pressure the spring willrestore it to its original position, in which both jaws are in contactwith the block G and the tongue fof sleeve F, said block and sleevebeing in ixed relation to the back and to the chair, respectively, andthe making of contact with both block and tongue by the jaws forming astop, dening with precis- 8o ion the position of the seat-back. This isan important feature of the present invention and one which can beutilized in connection with the device shown in the patent heretoforegranted:A to Arthur M. Richards October 7, 1890,'No. 437,938. The springK may be made sufficiently strong to dispense with the use of the springshown in the patent just named, if desired,.especially as the back hasits center of gravity below the points of sus- 9o pension, either by theinsertion of weights'a's described in the former patent, or by makingthe lower part of the frame itself of metal; but we deem it advisable inmany instances to use a spring identical with or similar to that shownin the former patent in conjunction with the device herein described andclaimed. Such an arrangement is showny in Fig. 2, in which figure aspring N is shownV secured to the inwardly-projecting end c of the studC. Said spring is to be fastened at one or both ends to the seat-back.

IOO

It is to be understood that the plateA may be fastened to the back,while the casing E may be fastened to the chair, without essentiallyaltering the nature of our invention; or, to state the same thing inanother Way, the part B may be considered as belonging to the frame ofthe back, while the part D may be considered as a part of thechair-frame, the operation of the device being practically the same asin the construction illustrated in the drawings and hereinabovedescribed. 1Where the spring N is used, however, the arrangement shownis preferable, because said spring is then concealed Within theupholstery of the chair-back.

What 'we claim asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is asfollows:

l. The combination, with a chair and its back, of a pivot whereon theback may tilt, a tongue having a iiXed relation to said pivot, a blockhaving a fixed relation to said back, and spring actuating jawsincluding said block and tongue between them, so as to bearsimultaneously upon both said block and tongue, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, with a chair and its back pivoted thereto, of acasing attached rigidly to one part and a stud attached to the other, asleeve litted to said stud and provided with journals for said case, atongue on said sleeve, a block in said case, and springactuated jawswhose faces are adapted to make simultaneous contact with the faces ofsaid block and the tongue oit' said sleeve, substantially as described.

3. In a yielding pivotal attachment for chair-backs, the combination ofthe back, a casing secured thereto, aback-support, a stud secured tosaid support, a sleeve fitted to the stud and forming a journal-bearingfor the casing, a tongue f on the sleeve, a block G, secured to thecasing,jaws H I, pivoted in the casing and encircling the sleeve, andC-spring K, encircling the jaws and bearing at its ends against the endsof the jaws, substantially as described.

4. In a yielding pivotal attachment for chair-backs, the combination ofthe back, a casing secured thereto,abaclsupport, astud attached to saidsupport, a' sleeve fitted to the stud and forming a journal-bearing forthe casing, a tongue f on the sleeve, a block G, secured to the casing,and spring-actuated jaws pivoted in the casing and adapted to bearsimultaneously on the tongue j" and block G, substantially as described.

ARTHUR M. RICHARDS. JAMES A. GIESE. Witnesses:

TODD MASON, ELSIE NnMnr'r.

